XCOM: Enemy Monstrous
by Malcho1234
Summary: It was over... XCOM defeated the Enemy from the unknown reaches of Space. They eliminated the enemy within... But threats for Humanity still exist, and they are closer than ever, living amongst us... It is time for X-COM's youngest Operative to face the Enemy Monstrous... Rated T because of XCOM. Possible OC/Harem
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

Hello dear readers and welcome to the first XCOM/Rosario+Vampire crossover on .

A few days ago I made a boast: that I could cross two very improbable franchises. My friend immediately asked me to prove it. And here is the proof! Hah!

I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it…

* * *

The war lasted for a bit over two years... The Ethereals, a race of aliens, attacked Earth with an army of thralls wielding advanced technology decades beyond anything on our planet.

They seemed unstoppable... They struck hard and fast, killing and/or abducting the populace before the army could respond... They struck all over the globe, without discrimination...

But we didn't give up... A group of the most influential people from across the globe gathered together, pooling their considerable resources in order to activate a contingency plan from before the Cold War.

And thus the XCOM Initiative was put into effect. The finest minds and the best soldiers of Humanity were gathered together in order to combat the threat.

But even with them victory was pyrrhic at best... Conventional weaponry was barely effective, and the finest armor we could produce was as effective as cardboard... But even with eighty percent mortality rate we did not relent. And in time, we turned the tide...

Captured alien technology helped them improve theirs. Within a couple of months they succeeded in creating things only thought real in science fictions, like active optical camouflage and laser weapons... They finally had armor that could withstand several plasma hits... An year into the war and we developed plasma weaponry of our own... The alien substance dubbed MELD allowed XCOM to augment their soldiers to superhuman levels, or even gave them robotic bodies that laid waste to the invaders...

But the aliens didn't stay idle... Each success by XCOM only increased the difficulty of the battles as new and reinforced thralls joined the battlefield.

And they weren't the only enemies XCOM faced... Other groups tried to take the aliens' technology for themselves, or even help the invaders... The most prominent and dangerous of them being EXALT, which succeeded in sabotaging XCOM operations when others failed.

But the defenders of Humanity did not let that stop them... They rooted the groups one by one, while battling the alien threat...

Nothing could stop XCOM from defending the populace of Earth… They met anything that was thrown at them head-on and defeated it… The first contact in Germany, the first downed alien aircraft, the Outsider, the assault on the Alien Base and the counterattack on XCOM Headquarters, the Terror Attacks, the Covert Operations against EXALT, the first meeting with the true leaders of the enemy forces, the Temple Ship assault and the final showdown with the Uber Ethereal…

XCOM met all that and much more with nothing more than human enginivity and prevailed.

Now both the Enemy Within and the Enemy Unknown are beaten, never to return.

But XCOM hasn't been shut down… No. XCOM will stay true to their motto…

Vigilo Confido.

Ever Vigilant.

For even with one enemy destroyed, nothing guarantees that another one won't emerge to fill the vacuum...

* * *

"Are you certain about this?" The man who asked the question appeared to be in his mid-thirties, With short hair and dark eyes. He was currently looking up at a massive screen, frowning at the small image that took one of its corners.

"Yes, Commander." The electronically disguised voice that replied belonged to the man whose image took the rest of the screen. His face was hidden in shadow, leaving only an outline of his bald head.

"The image is genuine." The man continued, causing Commander Bradford's frown to deepen.

"With all due respect, Councillor, this doesn't look like an Extraterrestrial... It looks more like a..."

"We are aware that the creature does not match any known Extraterrestrial profile." The man on the other side interrupted him. "But it is clearly not of human origin. This is why the Council is delivering this matter into your hands."

"Very well..."Bradford sighed. "I shall dispatch Operatives immediately."

"The Council will await your report. Until we meet again, Commander." With those parting words the Councillor terminated the transmission.

Bradford didn't move as he continued to stare at the image. It was a satellite image of a city, zoomed in on max. Flying over it was what at first glance appeared to be a human male with leathery bat-like wings coming out of his back and a spade-tipped tail flapping behind it. The photo was taken from above just as the creature was making a roll, allowing for a somewhat clear image of his face.

Bradford wasn't superstitious... Then again, he didn't believe in aliens before they came. Still, he wasn't going to believe that this was a demon or anything like that...

"The Commander had to deal with less weird things..." Bradford muttered to himself. He thought of the man who had this post before him, the man whose decisions and management of the XCOM program led them all to victory... They still called him by his title, even if he retired right after the war ended...

Another sigh escaped Bradford's lips as he walked out of the Situation room. He had a mission to plan and coordinate...

As he walked the short walk to the Mission Control room he couldn't help but wonder if this was how the Commander felt in the first few days of the War...

* * *

Amar smiled widely as he dived through the air. The Incubus was making his weekly flight high over the streets of Dubai, something he took up to keep his wings in shape. He wasn't worried that anyone would see him... There weren't many people who dared come out at night after the war with the invaders... And even if someone saw him then they would probably think he was a figment of their imagination...

The Incubus chuckled at that thought. Perhaps he could fly in one of the buildings below and Charm a girl or two, like his ancestors did in the past... Nobody would believe that a supposedly mythological creature had their way with someone...

Amar shook his head. He already had his fun for the night... He was just going to wrap this flight up and rest. His mind made the succubus banked to the side and headed towards one of the taller buildings in the district.

Landing lightly on his feet the Incubus paused to stretch his limbs before assuming human form. He didn't want any of his neighbors to see him as he made his way to his apartment...

Nothing disturbed the short walk to the door to the emergency stairwell that would lead him down and into the building. It was only when he opened the door that he got a surprise...

"Luvly night fer a stroll, ain't it?" A heavily accented voice said before the crackle of electricity filled the air. Amar collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut as the XCOM Operative discharged the Arc Thrower in him. The human watched with curiosity as the monster returned to its real form before bending over to check its vitals. A second later he nodded to himself and stood up.

"Bogie's tagged 'n ready to be bagged." He spoke in an earpiece.

"Roger that, Sneaks. Fast Wing is on the way." Came the reply from the Skyranger's pilot. The Operative grinned and grabbed the Incubus' body dragging it back on the rooftop as the sound of the hovercraft's relatively quiet engines became louder...

* * *

Amar woke up with a groan. His entire body felt numb and ached... And he was suffering from a headache, one that got worse the moment he opened his eyes... The lights above him seemed too bright...

"Ugh... What did I drink last night?" He asked as he stood up. A weight on his back informed him that his wings were out. Immediately he concentrated, returning to his human form in an instant.

"The subject seems to possess remarkable mimicry ability." The accented female voice speaking in English made the Incubus look around in surprise.

He was standing in a circular chamber without a visible exit. The walls were covered in white panels that, coupled with the lights coming from the ceiling, made the room awfully bright.

A segment of the wall was different though. A large window allowed him to look into the room beyond. The owner of the voice was standing behind it, talking into a small recorder that was held in one hand, the other holding a datapad. Her eyes were looking at him with curiosity...

"The form is indistinguishable from a normal human." Doctor Vahlen continued with her observations. "It's amazing... So many of his kind might be hiding amongst us without our knowledge..."

Amar was feeling panic seep in him... Not only was he captured, but his captors were apparently humans and had seen his true form... And the woman behind the glass was making dangerous conclusions...

"Now hold on, miss..."The scientist blinked at the interruption before smiling at him. Amar shuddered at the sight... The smile looked polite, but he felt the malevolence behind it...

"Oh, did I forget to turn off the microphone again?" The way she asked the question made it clear that this wasn't a mistake... "Oh well. Since you are awake we should begin. The Commander wants results as soon as possible."

Amar gulped. Commander? That sounded like a military rank... Was he captured by the army? Was he going to be used for strange and twisted experiments?

The answer to those questions, though he didn't know it, was yes...

"I-I'm sorry... Who are you? Where am I? What's going on here?"

"Ah, yes. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Doctor Vahlen and I'm here to pick your brain for any information we can gather." The succubus took a step back. This... He couldn't let this happen... They could learn about the monsters... And then hunt them down...

Amar remembered all the stories he heard from his grandparents and the teachers at Youkai Academy... About how the humans hunted down any monster that revealed themselves, mercilessly killing them... Now it appeared that the apes had gotten more clever, going with capture and interrogation instead of outright kill...

"Y-you can't make me talk..." The incubus stuttered in fear as he took a step back.

"Pity..." the way Doctor Vahlen said that made it clear that she felt no feelings of that kind... "I was hoping that we could have had a normal interrogation for a change... Oh well, we still have our old and tested method."

"What, torture? You'll never get me to talk, human!"

"Oh, no, nothing as primitive as that." Vahlen shook her head. "No, we have other methods..." With that she pressed a spot on the datapad.

Amar looked around as two panels in the wall slid up.

A pair of mechanical arms with strange ovals on the ends stretched out, reaching towards him.

Irrational fear gripped him as the contraptions lit up with an eerie light. The Incubus could feel that the things would kill him... Instinctively he transformed into his monster form and started slashing at the glass in front of him.

Unfortunately the glass was designed to be able to hold back a Muton. While an Incubus' claws are sharp, they just scratched the surface.

The impassive face of Doctor Vahlen was the last thing that Amar saw before the protective shield closed between them.

And then there was only pain...

* * *

"Are you certain about this?"

Commander Bradford had that Deja Vu feeling as he asked the question, his eyes looking up from the report.

"Yes, Commander." Doctor Vahlen nodded. "The interrogation has never been wrong. It can't be wrong. And the autopsy results are correct. I checked them half a dozen times myself to be sure."

"My apologies, Doctor..." Bradford lowered his head as he rubbed his temples. "But this is just unbelievable... Legendary monsters, living right under our nose? Dozens of species right here, on Earth? And..." He scrolled down the datapad. "If the memories and DNA analysis are correct, then they can and have reproduced with humans for ages?"

"I know it seems unbelievable, Commander. But it is true. The DNA test of the..." Vahlen hesitated for a moment. "...incubus, as he called himself, is compatible with a human's."

"The Council isn't going to believe this..." Bradford sighed. Still, there was nothing he could do but send Vahlen's report.

With a few taps on the datapad the files were sent to the mysterious group via an encrypted channel.

"And now we wait..." Bradford said, leaning back in his chair. "If there's nothing else then you're dismissed, Doctor."

"I shall return to examining the... creature's DNA, Commander." With that Vahlen left Bradford's office, leaving him to his thoughts...

* * *

The Commander was wrong. While the Council was a bit hesitant, they accepted Vahlen's report and decided on a course of action. And on the next day they contacted Bradford...

* * *

"Hello Commander." The man greeted Bradford in the same way they did his predecessor. "The Council is most perturbed by Doctor Vahlen's report. If the subject's memories are true, then Humanity is facing a possible threat greater than anything we have faced before. Neither the Extraterrestrials nor EXALT were able to infiltrate our society this deep."

Bradford nodded in agreement. While EXALT was composed of humans, their genetic modifications made them stand out if someone knew what to look for... It was the same with the Extraterrestrials' Thin Men...

But these monsters... They could take a perfect human disguise at will... It was a stroke of luck that the spy satellite was looking at that city in that moment... If it hadn't been there then they might have never found out about these new species...

"We have decided to increase XCOM's current funding to fifty percent of its war-time value. That should be sufficient for your new objective."

"We are ready to receive it, Councillor." Bradford said, straightening up. He was glad for the extra funds... XCOM had been operating with only twenty percent of the resources they used to have...

"Commander. XCOM's new agenda is not one of direct defense. You are to use your resources to discover more about our new enemy. We want regular updates. It is imperative that we know as much as possible on this new threat."

"I shall have my soldiers and operatives start immediately." Bradford nodded, his mind already working on figuring out where to start at. These creatures were good at hiding... Too good, if the fact that nowadays they were considered to be just legends and folklore...

This was going to be tricky...

"Good. Until we meet again, Commander." The Councillor said and terminated the transmission.

Bradford stood silent for a minute before he left the room...

* * *

Just as Bradford predicted, it was tricky. But it wasn't impossible... He had the teams investigate every rumor, every tale they could, checking its credibility. They had many false leads in the first couple of weeks... But finally they struck the metaphorical gold...

* * *

Jean Laurent frowned as he observed the small village through his Plasma Sniper's S.C.O.P.E. It looked ordinary enough… Like a village of hunters and lumberjacks… But the French XCOM Sniper knew better than that. Secluded deep in the woods of Sweden, this village was full of monsters... If Jean was to guess, there were no humans around here…

Which meant that he wouldn't have to worry about killing anyone important…

Or at least he wouldn't if the orders were to slaughter the inhabitants… Unfortunately for him it they weren't… No, he was to observe and then capture live specimens for extraction… Something that was a child's play for an experient Major like him.

Sighing Jean lowered the rifle and switched to his Plasma Pistol. His form blurred and he disappeared from view as his Ghost Armor activated.

He knew that he wasn't the only XCOM operative on the site… A full squad equipped with Ghost Armors were around, doing the same thing as him. A dozen more soldiers were in the surrounding woods, prepared to take out any stragglers. And somewhere high above several Skyrangers were circling, ready to drop down reinforcements in case things went really dicey.

"This is Nightmare. Approaching the first house on the East side." He transmitted through the comm channel as he entered the village proper. More confirmations were transmitted through the comm system, indicating the different groups moving into or approaching the village.

It was time to catch some prey...

* * *

The operation went smoother than anything in XCOM history. The soldiers struck fast, appearing just long enough to zap their targets with the Arc Thrower before disappearing, the unconscious monsters disappearing moments later with the help of a smaller version of the Ghost Grenades. Sometimes the soldier stood for a few more seconds, grimacing at the Goblins' amphibian appearance before they disappeared.

It was over an hour later that the disappearances in the small community were noticed. The Goblins started sending search parties, trying to locate their brethren.

Many of those parties failed to return…

Some of the monsters tried to run in the forest. Only one made it more than

Finally the dozen or so remaining Goblins took their monster forms and grouped into the largest building, hoping that the structure coupled with their numbers will offer some protection from the unseen assailants.

They were wrong…

Flashbangs broke the building's windows, allowing the Goblins to give out short screams of surprise and fear before they detonated. They didn't even hear the XCOM soldiers bursting in through the doors.

Several discharges of the Arc Throwers later and they were incapacitated… Cheers echoed over the Mission Control chamber back in the XCOM headquarters. This was their first mission without a casualty on either side.

The Skyrangers descended into the village's square as the soldiers dragged their unconscious captives.

And back in the base there was a large empty circle around Doctor Vahlen, who was unsettling everybody with her smile...

* * *

This was the first XCOM operation against the Monsters, but it certainly wasn't the last… Several other isolated communities were attacked, the empty villages destroyed in a manner to indicate attacks from other monsters. And then there were the rampages as well, events that usually went in the tabloids and were usually dismissed as over exaggerated animal attacks, drug hallucinations and the like.

Doctor Vahlen was quite happy with all the new subjects to examine, interrogate and autopsy…

But while XCOM were great at covert ops, they weren't good enough to fool everyone… One in particular, an ancient being with many plans that spanned centuries, managed to not only notice what was happening, but also track down the source.

The Kishin had succeeded where others had failed… But it had centuries of experience and his powers to his side…

It was time for one of the most powerful monsters in existence to speak with one of the most powerful men...

* * *

"Hello Commander."

Bradford was beginning to suspect that the Councillor's greeting was recorded and played every time… There was just no way it could sound the same every time he contacted him, even with the electronic disguise in place.

"The situation with the monsters has changed. As of this moment all attacks on monster settlements are to cease." Bradford blinked. This wasn't what he was expecting when he received the notification for the emergency transmission from the Council…

"XCOM is to continue monitoring the settlements, as well as respond to any hostilities shown by these monsters." The man on the other side continued. "The Council has found a way for one of your operatives to infiltrate the monsters' society."

Bradford frowned as the bald man continued with his explanation. The idea was crazy… To send a single, underequipped operative deep behind enemy lines, with nearly nothing in terms of support… And the operative they wanted…

Well, crazy plans worked best. XCOM's short history was full of them. And the one in question was in need of vacation...

"Very well. I shall have our operative on stand-by at the drop point." Bradford nodded.

"Until we meet again, Commander."

The screen went black, leaving Bradford to sigh to himself before walking out.

He had a long-term mission to plan...

* * *

**A/N**

Well, here you have it. The first chapter. Was it good? Was it bad? Was it even worse? Or was it so bad that I should bury this idea in the core of the Earth or send it into outer space, never to be seen again?

Stay tuned for the next chapter, where I'll reveal the new main character.

Do skoro, as we say in Bulgaria.


	2. Chapter One: First Contact

**Author's Note:**

**Wow, this story's getting more attention than I thought it would… You have no idea how happy that makes me.**

**Now for some replies to some reviews:**

**First, to all of you, thank you for leaving the review and for the praise. It means a lot to me**

**DariusXXI****: But there are so many of them! **

**Still, you have a point. I think I'll settle for Moka, though the others will definitely play a role (apart from providing ammo for teasing). **

**If any of you dear readers figure out the main girls' roles then you'll get an internet cookie (for those under 16) or an internet beer (for those over 16), as well as a special mention. Maybe you'll even get a special reward.**

**Lone Gundam****: "You'd never know it by looking at her, but that woman is an alien's worst nightmare."**

**Doctor Vahlen is one scary scientist… One of the possible new gene mods is mentioned in this chapter, but that's all for now. Of course there will be other Gene Mods, but there will be a certain complication with making them work with humans. A complication that will be dealt with in time...**

**The New Master of Evil****: The friend that dared me to make it thought the same thing. Now he's eating his words and I'm drinking his beer. **

**I'll try to keep the cliches to minimum, but some will get in. It's inevitable. Don't worry, there won't be many… I hope. As for the operative's life in the Academy, well, it will be gossip fuel in the HQ for a while.**

**drake202****: I hope that this chapter will satisfy some of your curiosity. As for the xenophobia, well, remember that when in human form the monsters are indistinguishable from us, at least on first sight. It's hard to hate them when you have to constantly remind yourself that they're not human…**

**And now enjoy the story.**

* * *

"Hey momma, look at me! I'm on my way to the promised land!" Christopher Redmond sang to himself as he tapped his foot impatiently. The young boy looked pretty ordinary - short cropped black hair, brown eyes, a face that was a bit sharp… His height was a bit unusual for his age, easily adding one or two years to his real age.

His clothes consisted of what appeared to be a typical school uniform - a green jacket that he had tossed over his shoulder, a white dress shirt and a red tie. However, the cargo pants that he wore and the way he had rolled the shirt's sleeves up as far as they could go were probably against school regulations. Not to mention the tie that was loose…

Still, Christopher (Chris to his friends, Lightning when he was on a mission) would have fit into any American city. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the United States… He was standing at a bus stop somewhere in Japan and thus he was attracting quite a few looks.

"Come on… where's that bus?" Chris growled after checking his watch. How could his ride be running late? It was a school bus, for god's sake!

Letting out a sigh the boy put his hands in his pants' pockets and leaned against the bus stop's rain shelter. As he continued waiting his thoughts strayed back to the events that led him here…

* * *

"Wait, what?" Christopher almost shouted. "Run that by me again, Commander…" Bradford let out a sigh at the young boy's words.

"You're going undercover." He explained.

"Yes, I heard that, but… Permission to speak freely, sir?" Chris asked.

"Granted."

"Sir, are you out of your mind? You're sending me back to school?"

"A school for monsters." Bradford added.

"Monsters which we were abducting and killing until a few days ago. Look, why do I have to go there? Wherever that "there" is..."

"The Council has issued us new orders. I don't know how they managed to enroll you in that school… What I do know is that it is essential for you to infiltrate this school in order for us to understand our new enemy better."

Chris grit his teeth. Of course the Council would change their orders… It couldn't be simple… No, he couldn't just live his life in the headquarters and go on missions when something pops up…

"This is Vahlen's idea, wasn't it?" He asked. The doctor was always riding his ass to get some education… She just disliked him ever since that accident…

"No. While Doctor Vahlen…" Bradford put an emphasis on the title. "...agrees wholeheartedly, she didn't initiate the idea. I assure you, this plan was created by the Council and I agree with it. You will either comply, or you will be sent into the brig for insubordination."

Chris let out a sigh. It was tempting… So tempting… But he knew that the only parental figure he had, as well as all his friends would be disappointed with him if that happened…

"Alright, fine." He grumbled. "When do I leave?"

"In a few weeks. First you need to prepare."

* * *

The weeks that followed were hell… Not only did he have to catch up with his studies in order to at least be on the level he should be, but he also had to learn Japanese… Thankfully Doctor Vahlen had a new machine that would help him learn at an increased pace… Unfortunately it was a prototype and didn't have all its kinks worked out… That, or Vahlen enjoyed seeing him suffer with headaches… At least he was fluent enough in Japanese now, enough to fit in this "Yokai Academy".

Though he was still going to write his notes in English…

And there were the surgeries to conceal the implants that stuck out of his body after the Genetic Modifications. Those would have raised some questions…

He also got quite issued some equipment, though nothing that made him feel better about being surrounded by the enemy.

The sack next to him contained not only his clothes, but a heavily upgraded laptop as well. It was going to help him a lot, especially with his studies. A hidden compartment concealed some of the more secret equipment, including one of the few weapons he had for this mission - a Plasma Pistol. He would've preferred a nice Plasma Rifle, but the chances of someone looking through his stuff were great… And he couldn't exactly carry it everywhere.

At least he could carry his other weapons with him without fear of being seen. The weight of the combat knife hidden in a sheath strapped to his leg was quite comforting. Same with the Arc Thrower that was folded on his side. The normally bulky stun device was made streamlined and collapsible just for this mission…

'Thanks, gramps.' He thought. Doctor Shen was the only parental figure that Chris retained after he had to join XCOM… The old engineer was like a grandfather to the boy… It was he who helped him get over what happened in the Alien Base. It was him who gave him hope… And it was him who vouched for Chris when he went to talk with the Commander about joining the fight.

If it wasn't for Shen's word then Chris doubted that he would ever go out there and fight, even with his abilities. The boy owed so much to the old engineer…

Chris' musings were interrupted by the sound of screeching tires. Looking up he blinked at the sight of the normal-looking school bus.

"Finally!" He exclaimed and pulled an earbud from his ear before picking up his sacks and backpack as the door opened. "You're late. I was thinking of leaving." He told the bus driver as he climbed in the (surprisingly) empty bus.

"A bus driver is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." Chris stopped and stared at the man.

"What's the matter, boy?" He continued with a chuckle. "Toad got your tongue?"

"Shuddup and drive…" Chris snarled and sat at the frontmost seat, throwing his bags next to him as the creepy man laughed.

"Don't make yourself comfortable, boy. We will be in front of the school shortly."

"Yeah, right…" Chris snorted. Like any sensible operative would do he had studied the maps of the surrounding area, both official ones and satellite images. Nothing indicated a school for monsters anywhere nearby… Or any monster communities, for that matter. After stretching he rested his head on his hand as he watched the countryside pass by.

"You best be prepared, boy." The driver called out, prompting a raised eyebrow from the student.

"For what?" He had a feeling of what the driver was going to say…

"Yokai Academy is a terrifying school…" Chris rolled his eyes. The man was trying to be creepy… Well, he would need to work harder for that. The bus driver had nothing on an excited Vahlen…

"I know, I know." Chris droned and leaned back as they entered a tunnel. His eyes drooped as he started to think about the monsters. He had only seen a couple of them, bound and unconscious on their way to the labs…

* * *

"Commander, we've lost GPS contact." A technician reported, turning around to face Bradford. The XCOM Commander was watching the blue hologram, his face thoughtful. Until a few seconds ago there had been a small red dot in Japan, indicating Chris' position.

"Try to contact him." He ordered. The technician nodded and turned to her console again. Bradford waited patiently for a minute before she turned around and shook her head.

"No contact, sir." She reported.

"Damn it..." Bradford swore. "Keep an overwatch for him. Contact me the moment he comes online." The technician nodded and Bradford looked back at the holographic globe. "I guess you're on your own, kiddo..." He whispered before heading to his office...

* * *

Chris' eyes immediately snapped open as he saw the landscape on the other side of the tunnel. It had nothing in common with the Japanese countryside they traveled through just a minute before… Gnarled, dead trees, blood-red sea, dry ground and a dark and gloomy atmosphere…

"What the…" He whispered before glaring at the laughing bus driver.

"What's the matter, boy? You look surprised." The man's eyes glowed from under his cap as he looked at the American. "You said you knew what you were in for." Chris returned the glare through the mirror as he gathered his bags.

"I said I know that the school is 'terrifying', not that it was in a place like this." He snapped at the chuckling man, ignoring the urge to deck him one as he walked past him and down the steps.

"Be careful, boy." With that last warning the doors closed and the bus drove away. Chris took a few deep breaths to calm himself before looking around.

He was standing on the edge of a barren cliff overlooking the red sea. A pumpkin-headed scarecrow next to a large dead tree indicated the bus stop. Chris took one look at the bus' schedule before clicking his tongue. It only came once a month… Well, there went that option for an escape route.

Reaching in his pocket he pulled his phone out and checked the reception. No bars… A few taps on the screen switched the connection over to the XCOM satellite that was in geostationary orbit above Japan.

No reception again…

"Great, no support, no ride out…" Chris muttered to himself as he selected a song to listen to and put the phone in his pocket. "Well, I've had worse."

Lifting his bags over his shoulder the boy walked off into the dead forest and towards Yokai Academy…

* * *

"Don't look up in the sky, you're gonna die of fright!" Chris sang the lyrics as he walked past the tombstones. The forest he was in put him on the edge… The dead trees, the murders of crows and the tombstones made for one hell of a horror movie set. And knowing that there were monsters just beyond it made things even worse…

"Now all that's left is for something resembling a Muton or a Chryssalid to appear and attack me…" He grumbled to himself before stiffening and looking around, his hand going up to pop an earbud out of his ear. What he just did was a direct challenge for some higher power to screw him up… While Chris wasn't superstitious, he knew better than to taunt the universe like that… It was something that every soldier learned not to do.

The universe seemed to oblige as a bicycle seemed to fly through the air towards him. Time seemed to slow as his Hyper Reactive Pupils followed the movement of the bike and its passenger.

His instincts, prompted by the humanoid (and female) shape, took over. Moving a step to the side he let the bike crash and continue next to him while the driver collided with his chest.

Unfortunately Chris had underestimated the speed that the girl was travelling at. The impact sent him staggering back a few steps before he tripped over an exposed root and fall hard on his back.

"Fuck you, universe…" Chris groaned in English as he opened his eyes. His back hurt from the fall since he couldn't roll to negate the impact… "And fuck your irony." He added as he looked down at the weight that was sprawled on top of him.

It was a girl wearing the uniform of Yokai Academy. A pretty normal looking girl, if you discounted the long, pink hair and the fancy rosario that hung from a choker on her neck. A groan from her and she looked up. Green eyes, pretty face, looking just like a normal human… A girl that would be the hit in any high school.

"I-I'm sorry…" She apologized in Japanese. "I got dizzy and my eyes went blurry… I'm anemic and…"

"It's alright." Chris smiled and raised a hand to placate her. "I understand, no need to apologize. Are you hurt?"

"No, thank you." The girl smiled back at him. "You managed to catch me in time… What about you?"

"I'm fine." Chris waved a hand. "I've been through worse…" His voice trailed off as he remembered a couple of near-death experiences he had. Plasma and laser shots, close Chryssalid encounters, a battle of minds with a Sectoid Commander…

His life was weird…

Coming back to the here and now Chris was surprised to see the girl's face close to his. She seemed to be… Sniffing?

'Umm…" Chris hesitated. "What are you doing?"

"I can smell your blood…" She whispered and a shudder went through Chris' body. Her hand moved over his shoulders and the boy hissed as she touched the back of his head.

It seemed that he had cut his skin when he fell, because her fingers were colored red when she pulled her hand back.

"Oh…" He said, making a note to wash that as soon as he got in the school.

Chris couldn't see it, but the girl sniffed her bloody fingers before licking them. He certainly felt her breath against his neck though...

"Hey! What are you doing?" He asked. Was she really going to kiss him? He wasn't going to object, but it was too sudden and…

"I'm sorry… I can't help it…" She whispered.

And then he remembered. He was going to a school for monsters. A school where he would be the only human. Which meant that the pretty girl wasn't a human…

Unfortunately that realization came at the same moment he felt a pair of sharp fangs pierce his skin.

Chris' body went rigid in surprise before he pushed her away, not caring about the amount of damage a pair of teeth in the jugular could do.

"Hey!" He shouted as he scrambled away, pressing a hand on the wound to stanch the bleeding while he…

Wait a second… Where was the blood? He should've felt it flowing between his fingers, but when he pulled his hand away there were only a couple of drops on them. And the feeling of his chest being soaked with the red life-giving fluid was missing…

"What… What the hell?" He asked in English, looking at the girl who flinched and shrank under his gaze. She looked on the verge of tears…

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I-I'm a vampire and your blood smells and tastes so delicious…" Chris gulped. Vampire? From what he could remember from fiction Vampires were always on top of the food chain… And the first monster he met was a vampire?

Well… For an apex predator she looked cute… If a bit meek. Chris' heart seemed to ache as he saw the trembling girl and he sighed.

"It's okay…" He switched back to Japanese. "Just… Please, show restraint in the future, okay?" He asked as he pushed himself up. The sharp pain in the back of his head made him wince before he ignored it. It wasn't as bad as the headaches he frequently had… After dusting his clothes off he walked over to the girl and reached out.

"I'm Christopher Redmond." He introduced himself as he helped her up.

"Ah… An American?" She asked, tilting her head and he nodded. "Ah… I'm Moka Akashiya. Please take good care of me." She said with a bow.

It seemed that she missed Chris' momentary grimace. He disliked all the bowing and other bulshit that the Japanese put so much emphasis on…

"If you let me then I will." He said with a slightly strained smile. Again, the girl didn't notice it and looked around.

"My bike!" She gasped as she laid her eyes on the vehicle that was a couple of meters away and ran to it. Chris picked his jacket and sacks up and tossed them over his shoulder before following her.

He couldn't help but whistle at the damage… The frame was bent, quite a few of the spokes were broken and the back wheel's hub was out of its socket…

"It's dead, Jim." He announced in English, causing Moka to turn around and blink in confusion. "Nevermind…" He continued in Japanese. "I don't think you can drive that again, not without it getting some serious repairs first." It seemed like this was the wrong thing to say as Moka looked ready to cry… Again. Was she really a vampire? She acted so… ordinary… Or at least Chris thought it was ordinary. His view was a bit screwed after an year with XCOM…

"Don't worry, I'm sure that somebody at the academy will be able to fix it. Why don't I help you with that, hm?" He asked, switching one of the sacks to the other hand before picking the bike by the frame with the now free hand. It was surprisingly light, and his genetic modifications made him stronger than he looked…

It appeared that Moka wasn't impressed by the feat, but then again, this was a world of monsters… Such strength was probably normal around here.

"Well, shall we go?" Chris asked, allowing for Moka to lead the way.

She probably had a better idea of where did they need to go anyway…

* * *

The walk to the campus was filled with chatter as the two teens got to know each other. Though Chris didn't reveal much of his past… How do you tell a vampire that you're a soldier in a secret military organisation that, until a few months ago, battled aliens and until a couple of weeks ago was abducting and killing monsters indiscriminately?

Yeah…

Chris noted how Moka disliked humans because she was bullied in school… But then again, how many sane human would believe that vampires existed?

About as many as those who would believe in aliens…

As they reached the campus Chris paused and stared. The main building looked like a haunted mansion… He didn't want to think of the classes he might take inside…

Moka didn't seem disturbed in the least as she literally dragged him towards the dorms. The buildings looked dilapidated, ready to fall apart.

"Should I leave this here?" Chris asked, pointing to a bicycle stand that looked out of place next to the entrance. Moka nodded and after a few tries he managed to put the front tire between the bars.

"I'll go and put my bags away. I guess I'll see you at the opening ceremony." Chris waved goodbye as he went to the boy's dorm.

He was quite surprised when he entered… The halls were pristine and clean, a far cry from the dilapidated building outside. It was mind-boggling and inhuman…

Then again, he was dealing with monsters, as he had to remind himself every now and then. The students around him may look human, but they only looked like that… Like a second skin…

He shuddered at the mental images that thought gave him and made his way to his dorm room. Second floor, room 215. Again, he was met with an ordinary, if a bit bare room. A single bed was set against the wall, a nightstand with a night lamp on top next to it. A simple desk was set in front of the window, probably to catch the sun while the student was studying. There was also a dresser and a small bookshelf. Unfortunately there wasn't a bathroom… Oh well, he could deal with a communal one. There weren't private bathrooms in the XCOM barracks, after all.

Dropping his bags in the middle of the room he took a look outside the window. The view wasn't bad, right towards the female dorms… Chris chuckled at that. Now if only he had a pair of binoculars and he could live every teenage guy's dream…

Shaking his head Chris put on his school jacket. A smile came on his face as he felt the small cylinder in the inside pocket. It was something he pilfered from the armory… Hopefully he won't need it, and if he did then he hoped it would work…

With that thought he walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. After a small detour to wash the blood from the back of his head he went towards the entrance ceremony…

* * *

Finding Moka was easy. Her pink hair stood out in the crowd and Chris easily made his way through the students to her.

"Hey Moka." He greeted the vampire as he sat in the seat next to her. "How were the dorms?"

"They're great!" She exclaimed with a smile. "I have a whole room for myself! It feels just like home! And I also have a bath!"

"Damn, you're lucky." Chris chuckled. "I have a room for myself too, but I have to use the communal showers…"

"That's too bad… I can't imagine what it is to bathe with so many people…"

"Eh, I'll manage." He waved a hand and leaned back. The opening ceremony seemed pretty straightforward. A welcome, an introduction of the school's purpose and goals. Blah-blah-blah, nothing that he didn't know from the briefing. He used the time to get a nap while the vampiress next to him listened intently.

When the ceremony was finally over it was time to part with Moka. Or at least he thought so. It was a surprise to find that they had the same homeroom and that they shared almost all classes.

That was awfully convenient… Oh well, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

They were among the first students to arrive to class. Which was fortunate, because they could get themselves good seats that way. Chris chose a seat next towards the middle of the row next to the window, with Moka sitting in front of him. The strange sy outside didn't allow for much sunlight, so that wasn't an issue, and the view was… Well, it could be good when your other option was a boring class.

It didn't take long for the other students to come in and find themselves seats. Many of the boys looked at Moka with less than pure intentions, something that the girl didn't seem to notice. But Chris did, and he took note of that…

Finally their teacher came in just as the bell rang. Chris had some trouble reading the kanji she wrote her name with, but he was spared that by her introducing herself.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Youkai Academy." She greeted them. "I'm your homeroom teacher Shizuka Nekonome."

"As you know, humans control most of the Earth." She continued. "That is why we have to fit in as well as possible, especially after the recent massive attack from an unknown faction of monsters."

Chris raised an eyebrow. A monster attack? How didn't XCOM know? What happened, and why weren't they...

Wait...

"The monsters attacked the humans two years ago, but disappeared just recently."

No way... They thought the X-rays were monsters like them? Well, Chris could agree on the monster part, but they had nothing in common with the ones here. The xenos wanted to kill and probe humans, while the monsters wanted peaceful coexistence... More or less.

"Hey teacher." The boy next to Chris spoke up. "The humans are weak. Why don't we just slaughter the males and take the girls for ourselves?" And Chris' thought halted. Of course this would happen when he thought about peaceful coexistence...

It wasn't clear if miss Nekonome's frown was because of what the student said or because she was interrupted.

"You are mister..."

"Saizou Komiya." The boy replied as Chris studied him closely. He looked like a typical bully, and not the clever type...

"Do you know what kind of weapons humans have?" Chris asked, not even flinching as the entire room focused on him.

"Do you know what a fifty-cal is?" Chris continued. "It's a type of bullet that's this big." He could see his classmates' disbelief as he showed them the approximate dimensions of a sniper bullet.

"It can punch through a steel plate this wide." He once again used his hands to indicate the size. "Do you believe that you'll fare better?"

"You're lying." Saizou grunted and Chris smirked.

"No, I'm not. Just go on the internet and Google it up. And..." Chris leaned forward. "Humans are probably developing even stronger personal weapons..."

The truth was that they already had stronger weapons. Laser weapons had even greater penetration and much better accuracy, and XCOM's plasma weapons were even stronger...

"Thank you for your input, mister..." Nekonome interrupted anything that Saizou was going to say.

"Christopher Redmond." He supplied her with his name as he leaned back.

"Thank you, mister Redmond." The teacher nodded. "As your fellow student said, humans have terrible weapons and won't hesitate to kill us on sight."

She was a bit wrong, Chris thought. Some of them would be unlucky enough to be stunned and taken by Vahlen...

"Which is why you must wear your human disguise at all times when in the human world. And to help you with getting used to your human form we have a rule here at Yokai Academy: all students are to be in disguise at all times."

It took all of Chris' self-restraint not to sigh in relief. This rule was going to help him immensely... Ever since he accepted this mission he was afraid that he would have to show his "monster form" at some point. But with this rule in place... Well, his chances just jumped sky-high.

And there was also the fact that most if not all monsters were much weaker in their human forms.

The rest of the class went on smoothly enough. Chris almost forgot that this was a school for monsters, it was that ordinary.

Finally the bell rang and the human was literally dragged out by an excited vampire in order to explore the school and its grounds. Chris complied, both because he was a bit reluctant to deny Moka, and because it would be better to have a mental map of the place.

It turned out to be interesting as well. The school had many nooks and crannies filled with strange stuff. For instance, the library was actually in the basement. Chris noted its location for later. If he was lucky then there would be mooks on monsters, detailing their abilities and/or weaknesses... Those will go a long way in discovering what the new threat could do, and adapt against it. Plus, the possibility of new gene mods couldn't be ignored... Last he heard Vahlen was working on creating a regenerative gene-mod after autopsying a couple of Trolls...

Probably the most important discovery were the public phones. At least he had a way to communicate with HQ, even if it was audio only. Maybe Shen could find a way to transmit any data and reports he got.

The tour was quite informative. It could've been better if Moka hadn't turned out to be the clingy-touchy type... Chris didn't exactly dislike the contact, even if she was a monster... But the glares he got from most of the boys (and quite a few girls) put him on the edge...

After a few hours of exploring the two decided to rest on a bench near a pair of vending machines. Chris was sipping from a can of cola while listening to Moka go on about how tomato juice acted as a substitute for blood... The human couldn't comprehend the mechanics of that... The only thing that the juice and blood had in common was that they were both red... Well, human blood, that is. The aliens had much more colorful blood...

He was just going to file that fact for later and send it back to HQ the moment he had a connection. If he was lucky then there will be a return video of Vahlen tearing her hair out while trying to figure how that worked.

The serene scene of two high-school students chatting was shattered by the arrival of an unpleasant acquaintance...

"Hey you." Saizou's shout drew their attention. "American."

"Yes?" Chris asked as he looked up. The other student was standing in front of him, looking quite angry. Several other delinquents were gathered at a distance, probably as back-up or something...

"What was that crap you were saying in the homeroom?" The monster growled.

"Just the truth." Chris shrugged and turned to Moka. "So, where were..."

Unfortunately, the casual dismissal didn't sit well with the other student. The human suddenly found a hand grabbing the front of his shirt and jacket before he was lifted in the air and pushed against a column.

Chris grunted as his back hit the stone. That thing with the monsters being weaker in their human form? If this was Saizou being weak then Chris didn't want to fight him at full power... At least not without a Titan Armor and a nice plasma rifle, at least.

"Listen there, human lover. I don't care about your lies. But if you make me look bad in front of the others again then I will rip you in half before taking your girl for me. Understand?" Saizou growled, lifting the boy up another foot or so.

"I understand..." Chris croaked. If he was right then he was lifted at the perfect height... "That you're in need of a breath mint..."

"You think you have a smart mouth, eh? Maybe I should rip it off..."

Chris didn't let him finish as he pulled his foot as far back as he could before swinging it forward. He didn't use his full augmented strength for the kick, but he did put some of it behind it... He figured that if Saizou was this strong then he could take some pain.

The few curious boys who had been watching the exchange, as well as Saizou's goons, instinctively winced and crossed their legs as Chris' foot made contact with the monster's crotch.

The monster's eyes bulged out comically and he let out a high-pitched scream of pain as he dropped the human and clutched at his privates. The human didn't even stumble as he landed down and walked past the downed enemy (heh).

"Come on, Moka. I think we haven't explored the forest towards the cliffside." He took the vampire's hand and walked past Saizou's stunned goons.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes before they walked into the forest.

"Chris..." Moka began hesitantly. "Was what you said true? The humans... Do they really have such powerful weapons?"

"Well... I kind of lied... The ones I described are more powerful. And that only scratches the surface."

Moka was once again silent until they reached the edge of the woods.

"Why... Why do humans have such weapons? Why would they need them?"

"It's just the way we are." Chris said without thinking. "We need bigger weapons to take on bigger enemies and..." He paused and turned around. Moka had stopped a few meters back, her green eyes staring at him in disbelief.

"W-we?" She asked. Chris blinked in confusion before replaying the conversation in his head. Then he promptly cursed himself for the slip.

"You... You're a human..." She took a step back. "Your smell... That's why it is human..."

"Moka, wait!" Chris took a step forward, but that only caused her to flinch back.

"No! Stay away from me!" She shouted, halting the boy in his tracks. "Don't... Don't come any closer... Human..."

"Moka, calm down... I'm not going to hurt you..." Chris raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Let's just talk this out and..."

"No, you're lying! You're just like every other human... You lied about yourself, you lied about your weapons... You probably lied about being my friend!"

"Actually, I never said I wasn't human..." Chris tried to diffuse the situation, but it didn't help in the slightest.

"Go away! I don't want to talk to you... I don't want to see you, human!" She spat the last word like a curse before running into the woods.

Chris let out a sigh. Not even one day into the mission and he had given himself away... Exalt covert ops were easier than that...

Oh well, there was no use crying over spilled milk. What happened happened. He would have to live with the consequences and adapt. It was one of the lessons that his fellow XCOM soldier, Shaojie Zhang taught him.

He would have to find her and somehow make her stay silent... Either through persuasion, bribery, or intimidation... He hoped he could succeed with the first or second option... Intimidating Moka was something he didn't want to do... She was a sweet girl, even if she was a monster. Actually, she was very human-like in her bubblyness...

"Well, well, well..." A very unwelcome voice shook him out of his musings. Chris turned around and saw the last thing he wanted to see now.

"A human, eh?" Saizou asked as he and his goons stepped out of the treeline. "That explains why you act so high and mighty..."

The small band started to circle Chris. There were eight of them, including Saizou... The human immediately recognized this from Zhang's stories as a typical gang behavior. The leader was going to talk before he was going to be attacked by the goons...

"What's the matter, human? Cat got your tongue?" Saizou asked before an abnormally long tongue slid out of his mouth, hanging below his chin. His goons laughed at the display, before Chris spoke:

"Wow, that line was older than my great-grandpa. How long did it take you to come up with it?" He asked with a smirk.

"Why you... Shuddup!" Saizou snarled at one of his goons who had snickered. "You..." He turned back to Chris. "Do you know the punishment for being a human here, in Yokai Academy?"

"Hmm..." Chris rubbed his chin in thought. "Having to look at your ugly mugs whole day?" He asked mockingly.

"Argh!" Chris' lips parted in a grin as one of the goons roared in rage and charged him. The strike was clumsy and telegraphed, and the human didn't waste any time. A second later the assailant was laying on his back, wondering how did he end up in this position.

But he wasn't the only one... Seeing their comrade going down like that made the others charge. Chris crouched a bit, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he readied himself for a fight.

The first punch was fast, but Chris' Hyper Reactive Pupils allowed him to see the attack and bat it aside before he retaliated with a knee to the stomach. A quick one-two downed the enemy and another kick sent him in another charger.

A movement on the corner of his eye warned him of another approaching fist. Ducking under it he swiped with his foot, kicking the monster's feet from under him. There was no time to render him unconscious, however, as Chris had to roll away from a bulky guy.

Standing up the human was briefly surprised as a pair of arms wrapped around him. Then he brought his head back, smiling at the satisfying crunch and yell of pain from the monster behind him.

Pushing away from the grabber he kicked back before leaping up. His gene-modded muscles propelled him several meters in the air, just in time for another monster to pass under him and crash into the one with a broken nose.

To add injury to insult Chris landed on top of the two and quickly kicked them in the heads. That rendered both unconscious, which nearly halved the enemy's fighters.

"Well then." The human looked around. The four remaining monsters were standing at a safe distance. They were cautious... Good.

"What are you waiting for?" Saizou growled to his remaining goons. "Attack him!"

"What?" One of the other students asked. "Are you out of your mind? Didn't you see what he did to the others?"

One of the perks of being the "kid" of the base was that everybody looked out for him and made sure he would be safe. When the soldiers proposed to teach him some moves for close combat Chris accepted immediately. While he was nowhere near the level of any XCOM soldier he was no slouch when it came to combat. And when you compared that with the lack of experience and technique of his opponents... He could've been a black belt master in their eyes.

"Then transform and attack him, you idiots!" Saizou snarled before following his own order. Chris' eyes widened slightly as he saw the transformations...

One of them spread his hands, feathers sprouting over them as they turned into wings. His shoes bursted apart with eagle-like talons… A harpy, if Chris was to guess... The other two shrank instead, becoming something that looked like the unholy children of an ape and a toad... Goblins, if what he remembered from the base was correct.

And finally there was Saizou himself. Chris' first thought was that he was facing a Muton… He certainly had the bulk. But instead of the metal armor that covered the alien soldiers Chris could see bone plates that covered the student's substantial muscles...

"Well then... Seems like you guys upped the ante." Chris straightened up with as he concentrated on his targets. "I guess it's time for me to do the same."

His eyes flashed purple, causing the monsters to gawk in surprise. Before they could recover Chris thrust his arm forward, a wave of unseen Psychic energy shooting out towards the monsters.

The students' pupils shrank as fear gripped their hearts. They didn't know what was happening, they could only feel the panic seeping inside them, telling them that they needed to run, that they needed to get as far away from here as possible…

And the effect failed as a long tongue wrapped around Chris' hand, ruining his concentration. It was just his luck that the Psi Panic didn't work on Saizou…

"I don't know what you did, human…" The monster growled, somehow managing to speak through his tongue while Chris tried to pull his hand free. "But it won't work on me." With that he jerked his head to the side. His tongue whipped to the side, sending the human hurling into a tree.

Chris fell to the ground, grunting and wheezing in pain as he tried to get the air back in his lungs.

"Um, Saizou…" The harpy began, panting heavily as he watched the larger student approach their target. "A-are you sure he's a human? I-I haven't heard of humans being able to do that… Or to jump as high as this guy…"

"Shut up!" Saizou growled, looking at his goon . "It doesn't matter if he's human or not! He's still going to die for humiliating me!"

The monster turned around, his tongue shooting out, ready to finish off the pest. However, there was something unexpected… Saizou didn't expect Chris to move and his tongue reflexively wrapped around the tree trunk. There was a flash of metal and the monster roared in pain as several inches of sharp steel pinned the muscle to the tree.

"Do you know what happens to whatever you are when it's struck by an Arc Thrower?" The boy asked as he let go of the knife and pressed something metallic against Saizou's tongue. "Same thing that happens to every other x-ray out there." With that he pulled the trigger.

The electrical current traveled through Saizou's tongue and inside his body. The monster spasmed for a few moments before falling still, its heart stopping. Chris had set the Arc Thrower to its maximum, which was enough to stagger a Muton and maybe even incapacitate it if the user was lucky. Truth be told, the alien heavy troopers were much tougher than the monster…

"Holy shit!" One of the goblins shouted.

"Screw this, I'm out of here!" The harpy replied as he spread his wings and tried to take off. It was the most sensible solution… But he wasn't fast enough. Chris' eyes flared purple and a wave of fear washed over the monsters, this time strong enough to freeze them on the spot.

The adrenaline-fueled Psionic human didn't waste any time as he wrenched the knife free from the tree (and Saizou's tongue). Gripping the bloody blade in his hand he threw it with surprising accuracy. The knife hit the harpy in the chest, the monster letting out a strangled scream as the blade pierced his lung.

The two goblins couldn't do anything as the glow from Chris' eyes intensified. Their heads started to throb painfully, the blood pounding in their ears. The world seemed to tilt as they swayed, their fear-paralyzed bodies suddenly finding it hard to tell which way was up. Strange colors started to swirl over their vision before several blood vessels popped. Blood started to flow from their ears, nose and eyes before they collapsed.

Chris let out a sigh and leaned against the tree as he let go of the psychic onslaught. Psi Panic plus Mindfray, both upped to eleven… That was an instant kill on creatures with low Psi defenses… But it also brought one hell of a migraine to the attacker as well.

By the time Chris felt good enough to move the harpy had died, choking on the blood in his lung. The XCOM trooper grunted as he pushed himself from the tree, a sharp pain coursing hrough his ribs. It seemed that Saizou had managed to bruise or even crack one or two when he tossed him in that tree…

Slowly he walked over to the student's body and removed the knife. After cleaning it in the bird guy's feathers he slid it in the sheath on his ankle.

Thank goodness that Saizou was distracted long enough for him to pull the knife out without being seen. That was a stroke of luck…

"Let's hope I don't need any more luck like that…" Chris muttered as he looked over the corpses and the still unconscious students. He couldn't leave them like that… They knew that he was a human… They would have to be disposed of...

Oh well, it wasn't going to be the first time he killed a non-human. Within a minute all monsters in the clearing were dead, leaving the human to clean his knife before using his phone to take some pictures of the monsters. Vahlen would kill him for the missed chance of getting samples and making autopsies, but he would handle that when he got back to HQ.

At least disposing of the bodies was easy. He was strong enough to drag or roll their corpses to the edge of the cliff before pushing them into the sea.

Now he just had to find an alibi and he was going to be scot-free…

And get some ibuprofen for the pain, as well as use the Medikit. This was going to be a bitch…

* * *

Unknown to him, Chris' fight was witnessed by a certain pink-haired vampiress... And the fight made something within her stir...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I know that it's a cliche, but it's hard for me to imagine the beginning of the Yokai Academy shenanigans without the confrontation with Saizou. As you may have noticed I tried to avoid a few cliches by making a bit of divergence from the original episode. I've also decided against unsealing Inner Moka for now, and the two aren't friends yet. **

**It took me a while to settle on the ending for this chapter… I thought of several other, including one where Moka dies and one where a whole XCOM squad saves Chris. There was the standard Inner Moka meeting as well. I think I might make some of them as an Omakes or something...**

**Now, to address a few things that I doubt will go unquestioned. **

**A normal XCOM soldier would probably beat a monster like Saizou. One with weapons and armor, even just Tier 2 or even Tier 1, would trounce him. One with Gene Mods and/or Psi abilities will be an overkill.**

**However, Chris is none of those. Sure, he has sufficient training to go in the field against the aliens, but he lacks experience in fighting things like the monsters. And he doesn't have any weapons or armor either. It was only after he was injured and had adrenaline surge through his body that he managed to briefly use lethal Psi techniques.**

**As for his slip-up, well, he has experience with infiltration missions against Exalt, where he didn't have to pretend he wasn't a human.**

**For those of you that expected Tsukune, my apologies. But can you imagine him with Psi abilities and military training? Because I can't. Tsukune won't make an appearance in this fanfiction. If you're wondering about his fate, well, it could be anything. From living peacefully somewhere in Japan to being killed in a number of ways - from scorching plasma and falling debris to becoming a baby Chryssalid's mommy.**

**Now, for the next chapter. I have no idea when will it be out. I'm having a lot of work to do in the real life, not to mention a few other fanfictions I'm writing. I'll try to write it as soon as possible though. I promise you, I won't give up on this fanfic, like I did with Monster Hunter to Vampire.**

**Well, that's all for now. Stay tuned for the next chapter where we will see how will Chris deal with Moka. **

**And remember to review. It helps with my motivation.**


	3. Chapter Two: Reconciliations

**Once again, thank you for your reviews and praise. Now to reply to those that need replying:**

**dragoon109****: You raise some good points, and being who I am, I'll reply to each:**

**1. Thank you. It is my opinion that we, Humans, have the greatest potential out of all races, be they mythological, fantasy or sci-fi. We may not be strong as some creatures, we may not be able to run as fast or long as others, but we are smart. We have an exceptional brain, which (according to urban legends) we don't even use at its full capacity. But with the parts we use we can create simple devices that will help us. This is what made us the apex species on Earth, and I hope that we will stay in that spot for ages to come.**

**2. I agree, it's quite widespread and many are bad. But not all of them. The canon… Less said about it the better. But I (think I) have a way to make it better. Besides, there are two Mokas…**

**3. True. Which is why I'm going to try and make things look as they should. Though Chris isn't a saint either… No XCOM soldier is.**

**4. I'm addressing that in this chapter.**

**5. Both of them will play a part in this fanfiction, but I don't think I'll make them romance interests. But that remains to be seen.**

**6. No idea, man. No idea.**

**EvenIDonNotKnowWhoIAm****: You'll get the answer to your question at the bottom of the chapter, where I've given a bit of info on Chris' Gene Mods, Psi Abilities and Class Abilities.**

**As for him turning against XCOM - not a chance. XCOM is his family, and he will never turn against them. Nor will he turn against humanity.**

**aznxa21****: I'll try.**

**Lone Gundam****: A lot of the first, a bit of the second. It is hard to try and pretend you're not a human in a conversation about humans...**

**drake202****: Thank you. For the harem... We'll see how will things go. It all depends. After all, even I don't know how will this develop. I have a vague outline, but that's all. **

**For the Psionics, PM me your ideas, I'll be glad to hear and maybe discuss them over Skype or e-mail.**

**As for the changes, there will be quite a few. Though not at first. You've probably heard the phrase "ripples in water"...**

**And now for the chapter itself. Enjoy.**

* * *

"It appears that, while adult monsters can mostly live among us without giving themselves away, the young ones are having problems curbing their instincts and violent tendencies. Of course, this is just my first impression, and it only comes from meeting a small group of their kind, so I may be wrong.

I shall continue to observe the monsters for as long as I can. Since my cover hasn't been blown yet I might be able to do damage control. If I'm lucky then the vampire will have cooled down and be willing to listen to reason.

If things go south... Well, it will be interesting to see if Vampires can be killed with a Plasma Pistol."

Chris finished writing the details of what happened to him today and his observations and conclusions from the events before clicking the "Save" button and closing the file. Even if he didn't have connection with the base he was still going to write his reports and send them as soon as possible. If the worst happened and he died then maybe the headmaster of this place will send the laptop back?

That was mostly wishful thinking... Still, he was sure that either the headmaster or some other teacher knew he was a human... There was no way he would be enrolled here otherwise.

Closing his laptop with a sigh Chris looked through the window. It was just a couple of hours since he fought Saizou and his gang. The sky was dark and a quick look at his watch showed that it was past ten o'clock.

It was strange... When he returned back to the campus he expected shouts of "Human!" and an angry mob he would have to evade to retrieve his possessions... But there was nothing like that... No, the students didn't even notice him as they went on their business.

Chris had expected that Moka would have told somebody by now... But it seemed that wasn't the case. If she had returned then she had stayed silent for some reason that he couldn't think of.

Oh well, Chris wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If his cover wasn't blown then he could reason with Moka tomorrow. Or bribe, intimidate or even kill her, depending on the circumstances. She already said that his blood was tasty, so maybe he could donate some every once in a while? And his Psionics were good for intimidation.

And, as he wrote, it would be interesting to see if Plasma can kill a vampire. He already knew that sunlight and crosses didn't do anything since Moka was walking under the sun yesterday and wearing a rosario.

There was always the option of melting her brain...

Chris shook his head as he started to undress, making sure not to aggravate his earlier injury as whatever was in the Medikit worked on healing it. He was under cover here. Killing the students would ruin that. Plus, it didn't feel right to kill anything so... Human-looking. Sure, he shot his share of Exalt operatives, but even then he didn't like it.

He let out a sigh. It used to be so easy... Shoot the aliens, hack the Exalt relays, run like hell to the Skyranger, make sure you don't die. Repeat the steps as needed.

Oh well, at least he had an exciting life, Chris mused as he lied on the bed. He could only hope that it will be longer...

* * *

The opening chords of AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock" blared from Chris' phone. The boy's eyes snapped open and he immediately checked his phone. Five AM sharp, just like he was used to.

Immediately he got up and started stretching, ignoring his neighbor's thumping on the walls. Nothing short of an attack could stop Chris from listening to his music.

After changing into a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants, and grabbing his phone and earbuds he headed towards the door. Just as he was about to push the handle he paused.

Was it safe to make his morning run? Chris didn't know if there were any monsters outside at this time...

After a minute of thinking he decided against it. He could live with skipping the run one time... It was better than having to fight something that liked running prey.

Letting go of the door's handle he turned the music up and started doing his morning exercises - series of push-ups, pull-ups and other like that. He was going to have to find a place for pull-ups and a gym for some weights, but that could wait too.

By the time he was finished it was nearing six o'clock. Chris could hear students waking up with various sounds that sometimes rose over the volume of his music. Finishing with his morning workout he decided to hit the showers...

* * *

"Yo, American!" The shout greeted him as he entered the communal bathroom.

Chris frowned. Saizou had called him that yesterday... Was it going to become his nickname for the school? Oh well, it was better suited for the situation than his XCOM one. Being called "Kiddo" here wouldn't sound right... Not to mention embarrassing...

"What?" He grunted as he unwrapped the towel from around his body and tossed it on the hanger of a cubicle next to the speaker. For a moment he paused, glancing over the few scars that adorned his torso.

"Can you keep the music down tomorrow? I'd prefer to sleep as long as I can."

Chris raised an eyebrow. This must've been one of his neighbors... Probably the one that thumped on his wall, if the bald head and massive shoulders that were peeking from over the cubicle wall were any indication.

"No can't do." Chris replied as he adjusted the water temperature.

"Well you'll have to. What are you even doing that early in the morning?"

"Workout."Chris replied as he started to wash himself. There was a brief silence as the two students continued with their showers.

"What kind of workout?" The monster asked. His tone was less hostile than before, being more inquisitive now.

"Standard army stuff. Push-ups, sit-ups, things like that. If I had a bar I'd do pull-ups, but I've yet to find one. I usually run as well, but decided against it this morning."

"Huh... I think I saw some trees that can work as bars on the edge of the forest." The monster said and Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Huh... Thanks." He replied before washing the soap from his body.

"Hey... You think I can come run with you?" The student asked after a few moments of silence. Chris paused to consider it before shrugging.

"Sure. You work out as well?" He asked.

"Yeah... But I only do basic stuff... Nothing that would really help my real form, you know."

"I see..." Chris nodded and turned the water off. Grabbing his towel he started to dry his hair off, an easy task, considering its length.

"Well, I can help you with that..." Chris said as he stepped out of the cubicle, the towel once again wrapped around his body.

It was surprising how civil the conversation between the monster and the human was. But Chris' fellow student seemed genuinely interested in working out. And if the boy made a friend, one as big as this guy, then he could have some backup in case the scenario from yesterday repeated itself.

The other student walked out of his shower, allowing Chris to get a first look on the new acquaintance.

In human form the monster stood a head taller than Chris. His body was burly at first glance, but the muscles under his tanned skin were a bit small and disproportionate.

"I'm Artemius." The student introduced himself, extending a hand towards Chris. "Artemius Yorgos."

"Christopher Redmond." The human replied, clasping the offered hand with his own and giving it a firm squeeze and shake.

It seemed that whatever the other student was his species respected strength, because he grinned.

"Of course..." Chris continued. "You'll have to get up as early as me." Artemius grunted and thought for a moment.

"Ugh... This is going to suck..." Chris chuckled a bit and clasped the larger student's shoulder.

"You'll get used to it." And with that he headed back to his room. This day was off to a good start...

Chris could only hope that it will stay like that.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to make friends here, Chris mused on his way to the first class of the day. Then again, it wasn't that hard to make friends anyway. Making enemies, however, was even easier...

Chris had quite a lot of enemies... Too many for someone as young as him. Whether because of his existence (the aliens) or his allegiance (Exalt), somebody hated him. Saizou yesterday belonged in the first category...

Of course, most of his enemies were dead now. Exalt and the aliens were gone, destroyed by XCOM. Saizou and his cronies died by his hand yesterday...

So that left just one...

"Moka." Chris greeted the pink-haired girl outside the classroom. She didn't say anything, just glared at him and stormed inside.

The human stayed silent as well as he walked in and took his seat behind Moka. Their classmates were already whispering and pointing at them... There was no doubt in his mind that the rumor mill was spinning at full power.

Classes for the day went on without accidents. However, Chris was visibly nervous... He half-expected Moka to suddenly shout out that he was a human and to have to fight his way out... He was especially worried when the vampiress disappeared during lunch. While not the ideal time for a talk, it would've been more convenient than a recess...

As the bell rang for the final class of the day the students started to gather their stuff. As Moka stood up to leave she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her nostrils flared as she sensed the familiar scent.

"We need to talk." Chris simply said. Moka turned around, her mouth opening, ready to snap at him. She had been evading him the whole day and if she had her way then they would never have to talk about anything...

"Now." Moka's teeth clicked as she closed her mouth. The human's tone left no room for argument.

"Where?" She asked and Chris had to hold back a sigh of relief. He had expected a confrontation by this moment, maybe even a fight...

"On the rooftop." Chris had scouted it out during the lunch break. It was spacious and had only one entrance, which could easily be monitored. It would minimize the chances of someone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Moka nodded and Chris grabbed his backpack before walking out, the girl following behind. He chose the fastest way up and a couple of minutes later the two of them were on the roof.

The flat concrete was warm from the sun (or whatever passed for a sun here). A look over the railing showed a view of most of the campus and the forest, as well as the red sea beyond.

"So." Chris began after he closed the door after Moka and walked a respectable distance from it. "Why?"

"Why what?" Moka asked confused.

"Why haven't you announced that I'm a human?" Chris asked as he swung his backpack off and started to rummage through it. "By the way you acted yesterday it looked like you hated my kind."

"W-well..." Moka gulped. She could remember how the boy in front of her fought yesterday... How he killed without hesitating...

"I saw you... Yesterday... You-your strenght and speed... No human can do that..." Chris raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh? How do you know that?" He asked, his fingers curling around the grip of the Plasma Pistol. He had stashed the weapon in his backpack earlier today, in case he needed it.

"I lived among the humans for several years... And they... They were so mean..."

Oh... Chris had forgotten about that...

"So you hid among us? Studied in a human school?" Moka nodded.

"They always picked on me about my hair and fangs! And nobody believed me when I told them I was a vampire!"

"Let me get this straight." Chris' voice was calm, level and emotionless... Too emotionless...

"You're telling me that you hate humans because, when you lived among us, you were telling things that no sane human believes in? And then a bunch of schoolchildren acted their age, doing something that comes natural for them at that age - being mean to those that are different?" Moka nodded.

"Yes." She agreed.

"Moka... Think of your words. Think of what you just said and of what I said." Chris waited for a few seconds before continuing. "Do you realize how mind-numbingly dumb that sounds?"

"But..." Moka's voice wavered. "Y-you don't understand... M-my life was hell because of that..."

"So? Nearly everybody gets bullied in school at that age. Your situation is nothing new." Chris explained, his mask of calmness cracking. "You're even doing what most humans do - you bitch and moan instead of standing up to the bullies!"

Moka stood silent for a few moments. Then she sniffed.

"You... You're just like them..." Her almost sob made Chris' fist clench. Making girls cry wasn't something he liked, even if they weren't human.

"Oh for the love of..." Chris growled in English before switching back to Japanese. "No, Moka. I wasn't mocking you! I was laying out the situation! We are humans! We don't believe in monsters, aliens, spirits and such!" Or at least they didn't until two years ago...

"We believe in the real world. Things that we can see and touch!"

"But monsters are real!" She replied, making the boy sigh.

"How would we know that? Your kind separated themselves from ours so long ago that you faded into our myths and legends!" Chris was almost shouting... It was a wonder that nobody had come to investigate. But then again, school was over and most, if not all of the students were gone. The boy could remember how he disappeared from school as fast as he could when classes were over.

"Look, Moka..." Chris sighed, reigning his temper in. "This is getting nowhere. Please, just think of my words, okay? Sleep on them and tell me if I'm right tomorrow." It was interesting how a night of sleep could help with one's viewpoint, decision making and thought process...

The vampire nodded hesitantly and Chris smiled. He had made progress... Not much, but even some was better than none.

"Now, back to my original question." Chris sighed. "Why didn't you turn me in? My mere presence here is in violation of One of the school's main purposes. Besides, my kind is hated by everything here."

"I told you... I saw the fight yesterday. You didn't fight like a human... You moved like... Like a mid-level monster... And what you did... That... Fear..." She hadn't felt anything the first time he used his abilities... She wasn't close enough, and Chris had specifically targeted the monsters in front of him. But the second time, after he electrocuted Saizou... She had felt the fear gripping her before the two monsters had suddenly died without Chris even twitching a muscle.

Chris nodded in understanding. It was true that he was above an ordinary human... Every XCOM soldier was. Though he wasn't that good when compared to them... At least not physically. Only rookies were slower and weaker than him, everyone else had Gene Mods and/or drugs that enhanced their bodies considerably.

Psionically though, he was in the higher percentages. It was the sole reason he was in XCOM at his age and with his level of experience...

"And if you ratted me out then nobody would have believed you after the first fight." Chris said. "No, you would've been laughed at... Just like in school." He chose to ignore how she flinched at his words.

"Yes... And..." Moka hesitated, looking away.

"And?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was scared... Scared of what you'd do..." The boy blinked. This was a vampire, and she was scared of him? Every story claimed that their kind was stronger, faster and more durable than humans... And she was scared of him?

"I see." He said. Moka didn't act anything like a vampire should... This was something he would have to look into.

"Well, it's getting late." Chris said, zipping his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. It seemed like he wouldn't need the Plasma Pistol. "You probably have a lot to think about, so I'll leave you to it. If you want to talk to me then I'll be in the library. I need to know what that guy was... I'll see you tomorrow." With that Chris turned around and walked to the door that led down from the roof.

"Saizou was an orc." Moka said. Chris paused for a moment before shaking his head and opening the door.

The last thing Moka heard was how Tolkien's version was better...

* * *

"I believe that the vampire will make the right decision. She is bound to be a valuable ally in this place, even in her current form."

Chris lifted his hands from the laptop's keyboard, flexing his fingers as he thought of how to continue his report of the day's events. A few seconds later he nodded to himself and continued typing:

"After checking the school's library I have discovered that there are more types of monsters than we thought. It is possible that their weaknesses are different than the fairy tales and legends as well, as proven with the vampires…"

It was interesting to note that crosses did in fact work on vampires… They just sealed most of their power away. It made Chris wonder how powerful would Moka be without that rosario of hers…

The water weakness was also an interesting thing to note and a potentially deadly one as well. He was going to carry water with him everywhere. Just in case…

"I have also discovered another interesting thing in the library." Chris continued typing. "It seems that magic is real, if the fact that there is a whole section devoted to it is any indication."

Chris wished that he could see Vahlen's reaction when she read this little tidbit… The very thought of it made him laugh.

* * *

"Come on, Arty. We're almost done!" Chris shouted to the panting monster. Artemius, in turn, replied with something in Greek that didn't sound very pleasant.

It was nearly six in the morning and the two were out, doing their run as they agreed. Chris even paced himself, deciding to run slower than usual so that Artemius could keep up with him.

Right now the Greek monster was on the verge of collapsing after a simple two-mile run that took almost twice as long as normal. And they still had to do the other parts of the workout.

In hindsight, maybe Chris should have started with something easier than the standard Army workout… Oh well. He was sure that Artemius, or Arty as he was calling him, could take it. After all, Chris was tossed in the deep end himself, so to say.

The human started to clap as the monster half-ran half-staggered past the finish line.

"Congratulations, Arty. Just twenty-eight minutes and forty-three seconds." He informed him, looking at his watch. "That's about twelve minutes more than what you need to be to get in the US army."

"Guh…" The monster groaned as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. "How… How do you know that?"

"I have uncles in the army." Chris replied. Technically that was true. He considered his squad to be his family. His uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters…

"Now, it's time for the push-ups. Thirty-five for the first two minutes and fifty sit-ups after that." Chris said as he dropped down and started doing his part. "One, two, three…"

Artemius groaned before following suit...

* * *

After the two finished their workout they immediately hit the showers. Artemius seemed quite relieved that they were done… After they were done the two boys went to their rooms to get ready for the day. The two only shared a couple of classes, and they didn't have any of them today.

Each step he took towards the school increased his anticipation. His first class was with Moka… Did she think over his words? She probably did… But did she see reason or not?

"Chris!" Well, he was about to find out. Sighing the human turned to face the vampiress as she ran to him.

"Good morning, Moka." He greeted her as she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"Chris… I… I'm sorry…" The boy raised an eyebrow. "What you said was true… It's just… I was so angry at humans for what they did… But you... You weren't like the others... You were friendly towards me... You didn't say anything when I revealed I was a vampire, you even joined me around the campus..." She paused for a moment before looking down.

"You were my first friend in years." She finished, causing Chris to blink in surprise. Really? That... Well, that made some sense, he had to admit. "And when you revealed what you were… I just felt so betrayed. But you were right. My experience… It was normal. I'm just… I'm sorry… Will… Will you forgive me?"

Chris couldn't help but smile, even as she was on the verge of tears. She had seen reason, just like he hoped.

"You're forgiven." Chris said, reaching out and lifting her chin up and Moka smiled, blinking the tears out of her green eyes. With a whoop of joy she threw her hands around the human, nearly pushing him to the ground.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" She shouted, hugging him tightly. Chris' eyes widened… She was supposed to be sealed, and yet her grip was like vice… Just how strong was she when unsealed?

"Moka… You're hurting me..." He choked out as he tried to pry her hands off. The vampiress looked at him confused before realizing what was she doing and let him go.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She immediately started to apologise as he rubbed his aching ribs.

Who would've thought that overenthusiastic vampires could be such a health hazard?

"It's okay… Just be more careful in the future." He warned her. "Remember that my kind is squishy…" Looking around Chris noticed that the crowd of students had thinned considerably. A glance towards his watch showed the reason - classes were about to start.

"Perhaps we should go now before we're late?" He suggested.

Moka smiled and nodded. As Chris turned around and walked away she latched on his arm, causing him to chuckle.

She was really clingy... But it was also a part of her innocent charm.

* * *

**And that's a wrap. Not the best chapter I've ever written…**

**As you can see this is an original chapter, one that doesn't have an analogue in the anime. I'm not sure about the manga, since I haven't read it. Trying to read the dialogue bubbles and pictures from right to left is a pain I don't want to go through… Anyway, this chapter was needed to progress things. **

**And just like the previous I had a few options on how to go…**

**The information about the army workout was taken from the internet. If someone here knows better and tells me then I'll correct it ASAP.**

**As you can also see I put another OC in. Artemius Yorgos. If you look up the name then you'll find it's Greek (or at least the Behind the Name name generator said so). In my opinion different monsters will come from different places on Earth and thus have names appropriate for the region. The Incubus from the first chapter was from India and had an appropriate name, and following this logic then Artemius is a Greek monster. You can probably guess his species…**

**As for his disguise, well, I have the theory that when the monsters choose their human disguises the human body is one part shaped by them, but it mostly comes from their original body.**

**And now for a treat: Chris' XCOM info. It was really hard to assign him a Class, since the only ones I couldn't imagine him in were the Heavy and MEC. Chris is mostly built for speed, so the three other Classes are all good. After a lot of thought I eliminated Sniper as well. While the Gunslinger perk would've been good the rest isn't that much.**

**Support had some useful stuff, but it still wasn't what I imagined him as.**

**In the end I chose the Assault class. It gave me what I wanted in Chris.**

**And now, without any further delay, I give you Chris' information, as well as some explanation on how the abilities and mods work, or at least how I view them.**

* * *

**Name: Christopher Redmond**

**Nickname: Kiddo**

**Nationality: American**

**Age: 16 years**

**Class: Assault**

**Rank: Sergeant**

**Or at least that's his level when it comes to skills. Chris sure hasn't been slacking since he got into XCOM...**

**Psi Rank: Psi Specialist**

**Base Stats:**

**HP: 6 - not very tough without armor.**

**Aim: 76 - higher than average.**

**Will: 83 - there's a reason it's so high, it will be explained when his backstory comes into question.**

**Defense, Crit Damage and Chance, Movement and Sight Radius are inapplicable in this case.**

**Class Abilities: **

**Run and Gun****: Allows him to move and shoot without high decrease in accuracy.**

**Tactical Sense****: Increases battlefield awareness, allowing him to effectively fight several opponents at once. Also works as a bonus to the Common Sense. (Couldn't resist it, hehe.)**

**Lightning Reflexes****: Allows him to react faster.**

**All three Abilities are influenced by a certain Gene Mod. **

**I'd also add that he's certified to use Laser and Plasma rifles and pistols, though he can't use shotguns very well. He's also certified to wear Light and Medium armor, or everything but the Titan and Archangel armors. In the field he was usually given Ghost Armor, since it's mobile and suits his style perfectly.**

**Gene Mods:**

**Hyper Reactive Pupils****: Allows him to easily track fast targets. Influences his Class Abilities.**

**Muscle Fiber Density****: What it says on the tin. Denser muscles allow for increased strength. Only, here it works for the entire body, not just the legs. So it not only allows him to jump higher than a human should, but to punch harder as well. Still not as strong as a mid-level monster though.**

**I was thinking of adding Mimetic Skin as well, but I can't think of a way to make it work with clothes. And having him strip naked every time he had to hide like that would be too much of a cliche.**

**As you can see his skills are more geared up towards speed and reaction rather than strength and durability.**

**Psionic Skills:**

**Mindfray****: Modifies the brain chemistry, causing severe headache, dizziness and hallucinations. With enough power it can cause blood vessels in the head to rupture as well, making the attack lethal.**

**Psi Panic****: Makes the target experience great, irrational fear that can cause them to be paralyzed or panic.**

**He'll receive other Psi abilities with the story's progression. I'll include original ones as well. Or at least original when you compare them to the XCOM games.**

**Equipment: I'll only list things that have been revealed so far.**

**Arc Thrower (Improved)****: Modified by Shen to make it easier to carry and conceal.**

**Phone****: Main communication device, modified to be able to link with XCOM satellites. It also has a GPS and contains his music.**

**Laptop****: A small laptop, modified by Shen to be faster and much more durable than an ordinary one. It contains programs capable of hacking devices (mainly Exalt relays). It is also used for recreation purposes.**

**Unknown object****: The cylinder in Chris' jacket. You can probably guess what it is.**

**Medikits****: Not only does Chris have a well-stocked normal medikit, but he also carries two XCOM Medikits which contain nanosutures and stimulants that can keep him going and heal him faster than usual. Since I doubt that the mist it spreads in the game would be plausible in real life I'm making it work by injecting the stuff via a needle.**

**I was thinking of adding Combat Stims, but then decided that giving performance-enhancing drugs to a minor is something that not even XCOM would do.**

**Weapons:**

**Plasma Pistol****: His main back-up. Benefits from all three Improved Pistol Foundry Projects - the first two improve Accuracy (for me the critical hits are either lucky or intentional hits in weaker points of the body - like the head, for example. Or exposed joints) and the third improves the Damage.**

**Combat Knife****: Standard XCOM-issue. Held in one hand, blunt end toward you, sharp end goes into enemy. The sheath is strapped to his right leg.**

* * *

**And that's all for now. I hope you've been satisfied. Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we'll (probably) get back into the series and meet our favorite succubus. I can assure you, a good part of that won't happen as in Canon.**

**Also, has anyone looked at the Concept - Soldier2 picture in the XCOM Wiki? You can find it at the end of the Soldier article. If you have, then can you recognize the flag on the male soldier's back?**


	4. Author's Note (I'm alive!)

**For all those of you who were expecting a new chapter... I'm sorry. A few weeks ago I had to give the laptop I was using back to its original owner, and a few days after that I lost my phone, which contained the next chapter both for this story and several other. Then university year started, and the workload in Ikea increased as well...**

**But now I have managed to get a second-hand laptop and another phone, and so I'm back in action! I also have another XCOM/anime crossover in the works. You'll get it as soon as I do the finishing touches.**

**I also made a poll in my profile for several other crossovers... If you have time, drop by there and vote for one. It shouldn't take you long...**

**I hope to see you in my next crossover, my dear readers.**


	5. Author's Note 2 (New story's out!)

**My fingers hurt, but my new fanfiction is out! Dust and Psionics, with story ID 10749738, is my own XCOM/RWBY fanfiction. Again, sorry about the delay of this fanfiction, but I write when I get inspired to write, and what I get inspired to write... It's just how I roll. **


End file.
